fied. ♪ do you member >> the band is known for a spring of hits including september and boogie wonderland. they sold more than 90 million albums worldwide. he died in his sleep at age 74. ♪ the markets dip in response to a disappointing jobs report despite unemployment hitting an 8-year low. the closing of wal-mart stores takes a heavy tool on the rural communities around them. >> i really don't think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you. and enough is enough. >> things get heated in and a half shiem ahead of tuesday's

primary. this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm richelle carey. a very rough start for stocks today as traders cling to the negative aspect of a mixed unemployment report. you can see things changes as we speak. our economics correspondent patric patric patricia sabga is here. >> this is definitely a mixed bag, and one thing we should also state, richelle is that right now the markets are tending to really focus on the negative. the headline number, the economy added 151,000 jobs last month. that was below what a lot of

economists were looking for. on the bright side, though, the unemployment rate went down to 4.9%, and another positive in the report was the labor force participation rate. that's the number of people either looking for work or have a job. that went up. so that is a positive sign. another positive sign was average hourly wages. they had a real healthy bump. so this is a very, very good thing, because we have been wanting wages to pick up. but of course, the markets are going to have a negative read on some of these aspects. for one thing the jobs engine is slowing down. and we have kind of expected this, but this was more than some people were expecting, but the other thing too richelle that the markets are concerned about is the federal reserve and what the federal reserve is going to do with interest rates. >> yeah, what is the thinking there? >> in december the feds signals that it could hike rates four more times this year, but the

fed has been dialing back on that. you can say, well that -- the job creation is slowing down, so that could push the possibility of another rate hike into next year. but we're starting to get wage pressures and with unemployment dipping below 5% some will read that as saying maybe a rate hike is still in the cards possibly even in march. so you're seeing a reaction in the markets. on the heels of so much bad fews we have had this year. >> patricia sabga thank you very much. the new hampshire primary is just four days away, and the gl -- gloves are off for the democrats. hillary clinton and bernie sanders clashed last night. clinton accused sanders of smearing her past. while sanders criticized her relationship with wall street. >> a progressive is someone who makes progress. that's what i intend to do.

>> reporter: in their first one on one debate, democrats bernie sanders, and hillary clinton battled over who is the real progressive. >> secretary clinton does event the establishment. i represent, i hope, ordinary americans and by the way who are not all that enamored with the establishment. >> reporter: they -- squared off over health care. >> i'm not going to talk about big ideas like single payer, and level with people about how much it will cost. >> i do not accept the belief that the united states of america and our government can't stand up to the rip offs of the form suit call company. we both looked at the same evidence about the wisdom of the war in iraq, one of us voted the right way, and one of us didn't. >> reporter: it was more intense

and personal than past democratic debates. but there were also pulled punches. >> how are you feeling about these darn emails now? >> i am feeling exactly the way i felt at the first debate. i will not politicize it. >> reporter: and on whether senator sanders ran a misleading newspaper ad. >> do you want 30 seconds on this issue? >> no. >> clinton accused the sanders campaign of being dishonest and negative. >> i think it's time to end the artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out in recent weeks and let's talk about -- >> reporter: clinton is expecting a loss in new hampshire next door to vermont, senator sander's home state. >> i can only tell you what i believe, and that is that i am the strongest candidate to take it to the republicans

[ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: but after spending two hours highlighting their differences, the rivals ended with something they can argue on. >> on our worst days, we are a hundred times better than any republican candidate. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: on tuesday the voters will decide which democrat they think can actually beat a republican candidate. the latest poll shows sander's support in new hampshire as almost double clintons. but looking ahead at the next democratic primaries later this month, clinton is still holding a pretty strong lead. in nevada there is a 20-point spread between the two. and among voters in south carolina, clinton is a big favorite. on the republican side, donald trump still holds a wide lead in new hampshire. he is at 29% right now, according to the c nn tracking poll. marco rubio is second.

ted cruz and john kasich is vying for second as well. as al jazeera's erika pitzi reports from new hampshire. >> reporter: voters are definitely turning out rain or snow like it is today. we have got four days until the primary, and voters say they are trying to get at least five events before tuesday, and we have been going to several events and we have been seeing at least a hundred people packing into these townhalls and meet and greets. they say they want to see and hear from these candidates in person, because they want to really get a sense, are these candidates as sincere as they seem? in >> i want to see if i'm listening to somebody who is just giving me a canned speech or somebody who is genuine. >> reporter: of course this is politics we're talking about, so everything comes with a little bit of controversy, including the abc republican debate taking

place on saturday night. there are some people we are not going to be hearing from. carly fiorina, and virginia governor, jim gilmore. they are being excluded from the debate. abc say just did not qualify. but we talked to several voters over the past couple of days who are very upset about this, saying that abc is really doing a disservice to voters by not allowing them on the stage. >> i have seen carly, and i think she's absolutely wonderful. i don't agree with her entire platform, but i think she would do a really good job, and abc just left her out in the cold for the next debate, and we have had a lot of republican candidates drop out, and seven out of eight are going to be there, and carly right now is hanging in limbo. maybe a petition will get that fixed, but, you know, that -- that really bathers me that the media has such an impact. and when i listen to the

commentators in the last month. it's like they have totally forgotten about her. >> reporter: voters are particularly upset that carly fiorina is being excluded. meanwhile she is putting pressure on her supporters to put pressure on abc to include her in the debate. there has been a new discovery regarding the zika virus. scientists in brazil say the virus has now been identified in the saliva and urine of two patients. it is the first time zika has been detected in either bodily fluid. the scientists stress it's too early to say whether the virus can be transmitted by either fluid. and a new study fines your child may not be well protected from the whooping cough. the vaccine was introduced in

the 1990s. children receive five doses of the vaccine before kindergarten, and another booster at 11 or 12. the findings find that the vaccine fades with each passing year, and can leave teens vulnerable as they age. the shot protects 69% of 11 and 12 year olds in the first year, but after four years just 9% are still protected. the number of cases has climbed steadily since the 1990s. more than 48,000 cases in 2012. wikileak founder julian assange is calling a u.n. ruling a significant victory. this was the scene in london just a few minutes ago when assange emerged to cheering fans and reporters. the says the panel's decision that he has been illegally

detained at the ecuadorian embassy is legally binding. >> they have had this judgment for the past two weeks. i and the public received it today. they did not file an appeal in that two-week period. why? because they knew they would lose. because there are no grounds for appeal. because the law is well established in this comprehensive binding judgment by the working group on arbitrary detention. >> britain says he will arrest and assange if he leaves the embassy. pope francis is set to hold an historic meeting with his counterpart from the russian orthodox church. he will meet in cuba next week

as he travels to mexico. that's the first time the heads of the two churches are meeting since the split between eastern and western christianity. an impact on one california community may be too hard to reverse. and wal-mart's decision to shut dozens of stores is leaving communities with no options. >> it's like navigating a minefield. >> go inside the new medical breakthrough. >> you had quite a reaction there. >> that's crazy. >> i really feel my life changing. >> the freedom is unbelievable. >> techknow's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is what innovation looks like. >> ...can affect and surpise us. >> i feel like we're making an impact. >> let's do it. >> techknow, where technology meets humanity... >> only on al jazeera america.

new revelations in flint over how much state leaders new about the city's water crisis. emails released snow governor snyder's office was made aware of an outbreak of legionnaires' disease in march. snyder has said he didn't learn about the outbreak until january. the state senate unanimously passed an aid bill on thursday, the money will go to residents for water billed paid since back in 2013. a huge gas leek near los angeles could be capped by the engineer of next week. it has been leaking methane for

months, forcing thousands from their homes. also the first wrongful death suit linked to this leak has been filed. the family of a 79-year-old woman says she was already suffering from lung cancer. they claim the toxic fumes caused her to die more quickly. the the economic impact will be felt for quite sometime. >> reporter: at the nail garden salon, empty chairs are now the norm in what used to be a thriving business. >> you would probably see every spa chair someone in there, or all of these front chairs are completely filled up, and i would -- phone calls would not stop ringing. >> reporter: employees say business has dropped nearly 60% since the gas leak. most the customers have moved away. >> they really miss coming here. and they come here, and we catch up on everything. >> reporter: the salon is one of several small businesses taking

part in a class action lawsuit against southern california gas and its parent company. this attorney is overseeing the lawsuit which aims to collect a billion dollars in damages. >> i don't think it's far fetched to think they will be able to recover those damages. when you are talking about an entire community that has been evacuated the combined total is easily a billion dollars. >> reporter: the valley economic development center is offering small business loans up to $250,000 to help keep businesses afloat during the crisis. >> every business we have talked to, they have really protested the notion of getting a small business loan when they don't even know when they foot traffic will be back. >> reporter: the slump is also effecting the realist state. >> they certainly are staying on the market a little bit longer. when we look at the same time period last year, homes

definitely were on the market a shorter time period last year than currently. and that has to do with perception of the gas leak. >> reporter: mel stewart says he is also losing clients because two major banks have halted lending. >> there are a couple of large banks that have not -- that are not lending, and -- but there are quite a few smaller banks that still do lend, but if the perception is that i can't get a loan, that is going to stop some people from buying. >> reporter: stewart and this realtor are both joining the class action lawsuit hoping to recoup losses. >> i started marketing here. people know me, so it is really hard for me just to close my business here in real estate and go to another area. >> reporter: and with the well still leaking methane, the future remains uncertain at best. stephanie stanton, al jazeera,

porter ranch, california. today wal-mart is closing the last of the 154 stores it recently announced it would shutter. most are in largely rural communities. our correspondent is in an alabama town that has turned into a food desert. >> reporter: it has just been a week since wal-mart here in fairfield closed its doors, and residents are already feeling the impact. especially seniors and those who don't have transportation. less than 10 miles outside of birmingham, fairfield is a city that has seen its share of hard luck. a quarter of the 11,000 residents live in poverty. and what was the biggest employer, a steel plant laid off a thousand workers last year. the mayor says no one was expecting to hear that wal-mart would suddenly shut its doors. >> it is a devastating blow to

this community. >> reporter: aside from 300 jobs, and about 30% of the city's tax base now gone, the closing leaves a food dertz. many here don't own cars and about 20% of the residents are seniors. >> a grocery store in a community is a hub. people have to have groceries. they have to have food. they have to eat. >> reporter: wal-mart supplied our pharmacy, clothing, food, all of the other little necessities that we needed. >> reporter: wal-mart recently closed more than 150 stores across the country. fairfield is one of three communities where it has left a food sdertz a community with at least a fifth of residents live in poverty, and a third live more than a mile from a supermarket. in rural areas the distance is more than 10 miles. the nearest grocery store is just a few miles away, but the

problem is getting there. there is a lack of public transit, and if you are walking you have to cross this busy highway. this woman says the added distance means she will have to hire someone to pick up her groceries. >> it's sad for us seniors. we have to do without unless we have a family member that is going to bring you food. >> reporter: wal-mart issues a statement saying in part, we will help through our charitable giving. the mayor said he pleaded with wal-mart officials not to close. >> now we must go to the drawing board to find out how we can survive. >> reporter: here you can probably see that a lot of the businesses are closed. so wal-mart was just another blow to this community that has already been struggling. right now there is no wore on

whether another retailer or grocery store will be coming in to fill the void that wal-mart is leaving behind. >> jonathan martin reporting there. the united nations postal administration is issuing a new set of mailing stamps to promote lbgt rights. it's part of a global campaign called u.n. free and equal. it's the first time the united nations is releasing stamps with a theme. they are valid for postage only if mailed from the underub headquarters. el niño is bringing lots of wet weather to the west coast, but it is enough to diminish california's severe drought. plus we'll tell you why this fella could give you an edge when it comes to picking a super bowl winner. ♪ .

♪ do you remember, when it comes to september ♪ >> such wonderful music. the music world is mourning a major loss today, maurice white the founder of earth weekend and fire has died. he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease 24 hours ago, but kept it secret for many years. >> i mean i just thought they were amazing. and i made it my goal. so he was kind of like the -- in my head all the time going you will never work with earth wind and fire, and i finally got

there. everything artist you can name right now from usher to prince -- >> is on that tree. yeah. >> the gap band, all -- it all came from earth wind and fire. all of it. >> the brand won six grammy awards. and was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2000. california is seeing drought relief thanks to the rains of el niño. rob reynolds has the story. >> reporter: the last few years have been tough from california farmer jordan parsons. >> since 2011, we have had complete crop failures the last four years in a row. in terms of the irrigated stuff, we have seen acreage drop because our wells can't hold up. >> reporter: now his fields are green thanks to the el niño global weather system bringing water to california.

scientists measuring the snow pack in the mountains say it is well above average for this time of year. near san diego, where surfers catch pacific waves, technicians from the scripts institution of o oce oceanograp oceanography, technicians takes readings. >> even if we had a normal strong el niño, we would be very unlikely to erase our way out of so many years of drought. >> reporter: no one knows how strong the el niño will be, so officials say that 38 million californians need to keep conserving water. >> we can't say the drought is over yet. we're still in the rainy season. we don't know how much we will end up with. so basically the message has been, people have stepped up to the plate and tried to

conservative in the urban sector, and we want them to keep doing so. >> reporter: farm ers complain about water set aside for the environment and at-risk species. >> when we favor fish over farmers in the valley, as a farmer that is hard to be satisfied. >> the law requires that the water be provided for them. >> reporter: more rain would be good news for california, but there's bad news as well, el niño downpours could cause flash floods and mud slides and already some areas are seeing severe coastal erosion. heavy storms swamped parts of southern california, and in pacifica south of san francisco, high tides and battering waves have left these buildings teetering on the edge. authorities ordered residents to leave before el niño tumbles

their homes into the sea. rob reynolds, al jazeera. the nfl is using the big game, the super bowl to promote diversity in the league. roger goodell is promising to hire more women for executive positions. it requires all nfl teams to interview one minority candidate for each open coaching position. and if you want to know who will win the super bowl, you may want to consult this one year old orangutan at the san diego zoo is going with the panthers. it didn't touch the bronco's gear -- look at him. he is precious. he comes from a family of super bowl sa vanths, his dad eli

picked the past seven winners. that does it for us. i'm richelle carey. keep it here. ♪ thousands stream to the border with turkey as syria's government moves a step closer to encircling aleppo. ♪ hello there, i'm barbara sarah, you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up on the program. >> this is a victory that cannot be denied. wikileak founder julian assange says he has been vindicated by a u.n. fining that he should be allowed to walk free. burundian refugees say the government is sendingge